In the same ruling approving the merger, Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane also rejected the $20 million severance package for AA CEO Tom Horton. The severance was already called into question by the U.S. government, which said it was a “golden parachute.”

Lane said the merger was “a terrific result” to AA’s bankruptcy problem, but that approving Horton’s severance was “just not appropriate.”

The merger will be finalized when a court approves AA’s bankruptcy plan, which is expected to happen within the next six months.